Overview
Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) is committed to bring affordable, reliable high-speed internet to every home in Massachusetts.
The need for broadband in the 21st century is often compared to the need for electricity or phone service in previous centuries. Connectivity is a foundational pillar of a competitive economy. Broadband and Digital Inclusion are essential to fully participate in modern life and critically important for our future prosperity. Achieving Internet for All will empower everyone in the state to fully engage in their communities and realize their full potential.
State Digital Equity Plan
MBI is the state's leading agency for broadband connectivity. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $147 million to Massachusetts to expand high-speed internet access and digital equity programming across the state. The first step to deploying these funds was developing a strong plan, informed by organizational stakeholders and residents of Massachusetts. Over the last year, MBI led a planning effort that resulted in the development of two guiding planning documents – a Statewide Digital Equity Plan and what is known as the Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. These two documents create the Massachusetts Internet for All Plan.
A Public Comment Period was facilitated in the fall of 2023 and the final State Digital Equity Plan has been approved by National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
State Digital Equity Plan Frequently Asked Questions
Future Programming
As part of the State Digital Equity Plan, MBI is committed to continuing to grow and foster digital equity across Massachusetts. As part of this effort, MBI recently launched a Request for Information (RFI) seeking responses from digital equity service providers or vendors. Such entities should be currently providing digital equity services in Massachusetts or are based in the U.S. and capable of providing services in Massachusetts at the time of RFI response, Friday, March 28.
MBI is aiming to identify service providers and vendors of the following services:
- Digital literacy
- Device refurbishment and/or distribution
- Education, outreach and adoption
- Public spaces internet modernization
- WiFi access
Once the RFI has closed, MBI will publish the results as a method to encourage more visibility into the resource list of digital equity service providers and vendors in Massachusetts and nationally. This RFI is not a mechanism to pre-qualify service providers and vendors for future funding from MassTech/MBI. Furthermore, the results published from this RFI do not serve as an endorsement on behalf of MassTech/MBI.